Pocobletus, SIMON, 1894

Moreira, Thiago Da Silva & Hormiga, Gustavo, 2021, Systematics of the Neotropical spider genera Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes and the circumscription of the Pocobletus clade (Araneae: Linyphiidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 192 : -

POCOBLETUS SIMON, 1894

Type species: Pocobletus coroniger Simon, 1894 (by monotypy).

Graphomoa Chamberlin, 1924: 7 . Type species (by monotypy): Graphomoa theridioides Chamberlin, 1924 . New synonymy.

Exechopsis Millidge, 1991: 56 . Type species (by original designation): Exechopsis versicolor Millidge, 1991 . New synonymy.

Exocora Millidge, 1991: 58 . Type species (by original designation): Exocora proba Millidge, 1991 . New synonymy.

Included species: Pocobletus coroniger Simon, 1894 ; P.bivittatus Simon, 1898 , P. theridioides ( Chamberlin, 1924) comb. nov.; P. conspicuus ( Millidge, 1991) comb. nov.; P. eberhardi (Rodrigues, Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov.; P. versicolor ( Millidge, 1991) comb. nov.; P. girotii ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov.; P. medonho ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov.; P. nogueirai ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov.; P. pallidus ( Millidge, 1991) comb. nov.; P. phoenix ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov.; P. proba ( Millidge, 1991) comb. nov.; P. ribeiroi ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov. and P. una ( Lemos & Brescovit, 2013) comb. nov. There

are numerous undescribed species of Pocobletus , which will be treated in a separate publication.

Diagnosis: Pocobletus can be distinguished from Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes by the more round and robust somatic morphology of the former genus ( Fig.32A–C, E, F), with the eyes clustered together (more separated in the latter two genera). Males of Pocobletus can be distinguished from those of Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes by the smaller, usually membranous and inconspicuous embolic membrane ( Fig. 43A–D), and by a larger lamella, which houses the embolus ( Fig. 43A–D). In Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes , the embolic membrane is modified into a large and wellsclerotized bifurcated structure, the radical complex (RC). Pocobletus females lack the lateral epigynal lobes present in Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes and many species in the former genus have large globular epigynal sacs connecting the CO to the CD (epigynal membranous sacs; Fig. 44A, B, F, G). The epigynal sacs are homologous to the epigynal membranous channels found in Jalapyphantes and Selenyphantes .

Note: Eugène Simon (1894) described the monotypic genus Pocobletus to place P. coroniger , based on specimens that he had collected in Caracas ( Venezuela). Simon (1897) added a second species to the genus ( P. bivittatus Simon, 1897 ) based on females collected on the West Indian island of Saint Vincent. The genus description is succinct, lacking any illustrations (neither species was illustrated) and focused exclusively on the somatic morphology. Simon (1894) pointed out that ‘all the species in the genus are new’, which suggests that he saw specimens of additional species of Pocobletus , most likely P. bivittatus [ Simon (1892) was his first paper on the spiders of Saint Vincent]. Unaware of Simon’s genus, Chamberlin (1924) erected the genus Graphomoa to include a single species ( G. theridioides Chamberlin, 1924 ) based on one female specimen from Louisiana collected by Mr H Edward Hubert of New Orleans, housed in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. As it turns out (see next section), the type specimens of P. coroniger and G. theridioides belong to the same species, which renders Graphomoa a junior synonym of Pocobletus . Neither Pocobletus nor Graphomoa was mentioned by Millidge (1991) in his monograph on Neotropical linyphiids (or in any of his many papers on linyphiids). Examination of the type specimens (and other material in both genera) of the type species of Exechopsis and Exocora ( Exechopsis versicolor Millidge, 1991 and Exocora proba Millidge, 1991 ) suggests that both type species are congeneric with Pocobletus coroniger . Thus, the genera Exechopsis and Exocora are junior synonyms of Pocobletus .

Description: [Note: In the absence of a revision of Pocobletus and given the many undescribed species that exist (Hormiga, unpubl.), only a preliminary description can be provided here]. Small linyphiids (males range in total length from 1.35 to 2.34 and females from 1.38 to 2.30). Prosoma with a carapace that often has dark markings (lateral or medial) and a broad and convex sternum, often visible extending ventrally beyond the coxae in lateral view. Eyes clustered together (but only ALE and PLE are juxtaposed) with large, protruding lenses, some species have macrosetae between the AME and PME ( Fig. 42C). Cheliceral stridulatory striae present. Female pedipalpal claw absent. Legs often annulated with dark bands, with 2222 or 1111 tibial spines. Males with a thick prolateral macroseta in Tibia I ( Fig. 42C, D). Metatarsus IV trichobothrium absent. Abdomen globular ( Fig. 42A, B, E, F), most species with a coloration pattern that includes dark patches and paired light or white guanine spots. Tracheal system haplotracheate (per P. coroniger dissection); tracheal trunks confined to the abdomen, the median being about half as long as the lateral trunks.

Male palp ( Figs 41E, F, 43, 44): tibia shorter than wide; cymbium apically blunt, with an ectal process anterior to the paracymbium base; paracymbium small, U-shaped; tegulum narrow in ectal view, with an apical protegulum; distal suprategular apophysis inconspicuous, usually not visible in the unexpanded palp; column exposed, visible in palp ectal view; embolic membrane variable across species, generally longer than wide and membranous, sometimes small and not discernible with dissecting microscope; lamella characteristica variable in size and structure, semimembranous and folded in various ways to house the embolus’ distal part; radix contiguous with embolus base (not a separate, discrete sclerite); embolus filiform, varying from long to extremely long and coiled apically.

Epigynum ( Fig. 44A–D, F, G): epigynal region usually protruding, with an opening leading to an atrium that houses the copulatory openings; copulatory ducts of variable length; spermathecae small, usually globular, associated in many species with large, membranous sacs; fertilization ducts medially or anteromedially oriented.

Distribution: USA: Ohio ( Bradley, 2018) and other areas east of the Mississippi river (including Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama) through tropical America to northern Argentina (Misiones) and on several islands in the Caribbean (at least on Hispaniola, Jamaica, Trinidad and Saint Vincent).